Lord Mayor's Show

Winding its way through the city of London, the Lord Mayor’s Show celebrates 800 years of history and pageantry watched by millions throughout Britain.

The Lord Mayor’s Show forms the longest running and most well known spectacles in the fabulous city of London. The day after being sworn into service, the Lord Mayor, travelling in a glamorous state coach leads a procession from the City of London to the Royal Courts of Justice in the City of Westminster, where they mayor officially swears allegiance to the Crown.

This procession is known as the Lord Mayor’s Show and mixes 800 years of traditional pageantry and modern day carnival, with military bands and floats from organisations within the London community, while in the evening a huge fireworks display is held by the banks of the Thames.

Around half a million people are expected to turn out on the streets of London to watch the Lord Mayor’s Show, while millions more will watch the event at home on the BBC. In 2006, the Lord’s Mayor Show falls on November 11th coinciding with Armistice Day. The processions will begin at 11.02am after observing the traditional 2 minutes silence for Armistice Day, and will finish around 3pm. But it’s not over just yet, as the day finishes off with a bang, with the fireworks display on the Thames, between Waterloo Bridge and Blackfriars Bridge at 5pm.

The Lord Mayor’s Show, dates back to 1215 and the tradition has been upheld even through the dark days of the Black Death and the Blitz. Dick Wittington was famously thrice Mayor of London and led the procession in 1397, 1406 and 1419. In 1759 the fabulous Lord Mayor’s state coach was built at a staggering cost of £120,000 and has carried the Mayor along the route each year since. From 1959, the Lord Mayor’s Show has been held on the second Saturday of November.

The Lord Mayor governs the City of London region and is not to be confused with the Mayor of London, whose remit covers the Greater London area. The first Lord Mayor was Henry Fitzailwyn in 1189, from 1215 has been elected by the City and since then almost 700 people have served as Lord Mayor of London.

The Mayoral insignia include the Seal, the Purse, the Sword and the Mace. In their role the mayor serves on the governing body of the City of London, the Corporation of London, though their role is primarily ceremonial rather than political hosting foreign dignitaries and representing the London financial sector. The Lord Mayor’s other roles include Chief Magistrate of London and Admiral of the Port of London.

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